Document Examination Review Questions

List the most common features associated with a paper examination.

-General appearance -Color -Weight -Watermarks

Describe two methods for visualizing indented writing.

1. Applying an electrostatic charge to the surface of a polymer film that has been placed in contact with a questioned document 2. Studying paper under an oblique/side lighting

What two process typically are involved in examination of toner?

1. Microscopic analysis 2. Identification of inorganic/organic components

Name two analytical techniques used to analyze writing inks.

1. Microspectrophotometry 2. Thin-layer chromatography

True/False: A single handwriting characteristic can by itself be taken as a basis for a positive comparison.

False

True/False: Because people sign their names the way every time, if an original signature was traced over, the handwriting examiner would have to conclude that the tracing was produced by the signer of the original.

False

True/False: Random wear and damages to a printer impart it with class characteristics.

False

True/False: The age difference between genuine and unknown specimens is not an important factor in a handwriting comparison.

False

What constitutional principle did the Supreme Court address in the case of United States v. Mara, and how did the court rule?

Taking a handwriting sample didn't constitute an unreasonable search and seizure of a person; didn't violate the Fourth Amendment

Chemical erasures of words or numbers may be revealed by examination of handwriting under

infrared luminescence.

Describe two situations in which a document examiner may be prevented from coming to a positive conclusion about a questioned document.

1. An insufficient number of known writings are available for comparison 2. Questioned writings only contain a few words; person tries to disguise their own handwriting

What two questions are document examiners most often asked about typewriters?

1. Can the make/model of the typewriter used to type the questioned document be verified? 2. Can a particular suspect typewriter be identified as having prepared the questioned document?

Name at least five factors besides handwriting characteristics that can impart individual variations to writing.

1. Margins 2. Spacings 3. Alignment 4. Crowding 5. Insertions

Name the two general categories of printers and list two examples of each type.

1. Nonimpact printers (e.g., ink-jet, laser) 2. Impact printers (e.g., thermal, dot-matrix)

Name five important characteristics of a printer, photocopier, or fax machine that a document examiner must identify when analyzing a document in a situation

1. Printing technology 2. Type of paper 3. Type of toner/ink used 4. Chemical composition of toner 5. Type of toner-to-paper fusing method

Name two ways in which infrared luminescence is useful in examining documents.

1. Reveals erased writing 2. Detects alteration of a document with ink differing from the original

Name at least five characteristics of handwriting in which one might expect to encounter variations between individuals.

1. Slope 2. Angularity 3. Pressure 4. Letter and word spacings 5. Pen movement

What are exemplars? Why are they important for document examination?

A collection of an adequate number of known writings; they are used for handwriting comparisons

What individual characteristics of a typewriter are valuable for proving its identity?

Alignments and defects on the type face

What is a questioned document?

Any object that contains handwritten or typewritten markings whose source or authenticity is in doubt

Handwriting containing inks of different chemical compositions may be distinguished by photography with

IR light.

What are natural variations? How can they be useful for detecting forgeries?

Normal deviations found between repeated specimens of an individual's handwriting; they are used to ensure that handwriting comparisons are accurate

What distinguishing marks serve as points of comparison on documents produced by a photocopier?

Transitory defect marks originating from random debris on the glass platen, inner cover, or mechanical portions

What is a TTI? Name two ways in which it is useful in document comparison.

Transmitting terminal identifier; fax machines print them at the top of each fax page; header and document's text should have different type styles

True/False: A TTI, or transmitting terminal identifier, is a header at the top of each page of a fax document.

True

What constitutional principle did the Supreme Court address in Gilbert v. California, and how did the court rule?

Upheld the taking of writing exemplars before the appointment of counsel; ruled that handwriting samples lie outside the protection privileges of the Fifth Amendment

A nondestructive approach to comparing ink lines is accomplished with

a visible microspectrophotometer.

In each of the following situations, indicate how you would go about recovering original writing that is not visible to the naked eye. a. The original words have been obliterated with a different ink than was used to compose the original. b. The original words have been obliterated by chemical erasure. c. The original writing was made with fluorescent ink. d. The original documents have been charred or burned.

a. Photograph the document with infrared-sensitive film b. Examine the document under infrared or ultraviolet lighting c. Examine the document under ultraviolet lighting d. Photograph the document with infrared-sensitive film

Critical to the examination of questioned documents is

the gathering of documents of known authorship.

The age of an ink may be determined by utilizing an ink library based on analysis by

thin-layer chromatography.

When comparing sample writing to a suspect document, the age difference between the documents should be no more than

two to three years.